Germany and Europe Release Joint Policy Paper on Digital Sovereignty
Germany and Europe face mounting geopolitical tensions that threaten their digital capabilities, prompting a joint policy paper from the nonprofit organization cum ratione and the Software Innovation Lab at Paderborn University’s SICP – Software Innovation Campus Paderborn, uni-paderborn.de reported on October 13, 2026. The published recommendations outline actionable steps to reduce critical technological dependencies, foster local digital value creation, and build robust digital self-determination across business, government, and society without resorting to technological isolation. The newly released policy paper features a wide array of solution approaches aimed at fostering greater digital self-determination across business, government, and society.
Strengthening Alternatives to Big Tech and Reforming Media Law
The newly released measures call for active investments in alternatives to products from major digital conglomerates such as Microsoft, Apple, and Meta to give citizens, businesses, and public institutions secure long-term choices. According to Kerstin Haarmann, managing director of cum ratione, existing regulations must face stricter enforcement to curb unfair competitive advantages held by Big Tech over traditional media outlets. Haarmann stated that media associations and publishing houses must push for large technology corporations to bear legal responsibility and liability matching their immense market influence, warning that traditional media cannot survive an unequal contest and that this imbalance threatens democracy.
Funding Resilient Infrastructure and IT Security
Digital sovereignty requires maintaining operational capability even during severe crises, according to Dr. Simon Oberthür, head of the Digital Sovereignty innovation area at Paderborn University’s Software Innovation Lab. Oberthür emphasized that institutions must identify critical technological dependencies and design digital infrastructures to be secure and resilient from the start. Wer heute Milliarden in Infrastruktur investiert, muss die notwendige IT-Sicherheit deshalb verbindlich mitfinanzieren – sonst riskieren wir die Verwundbarkeiten von morgen,
Oberthür warned, asserting that anyone investing billions in infrastructure today must bindingly co-finance the necessary IT security to avoid future vulnerabilities.
Bridging Research and Practical Implementation
Effective regulation alone is insufficient for lasting digital self-determination; Europe also requires powerful technological alternatives, open standards, and the internal capacity to design and evolve digital systems. Neben einer wirksamen Regulierung braucht digitale Souveränität auch leistungsfähige technologische Alternativen, offene Standards und die Fähigkeit, digitale Systeme selbst zu gestalten und weiterzuentwickeln,
noted Prof. Dr. Stefan Sauer, professor for human-centered software engineering and managing director at SICP, emphasizing that research and innovation must yield practical solutions for long-term deployment by companies and public institutions.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Paderborn Policy Paper
What specific regulatory changes do the publishers demand?
The joint paper demands the further development of media law, the introduction of a European digital tax, and much more ambitious enforcement of existing legal frameworks to hold large technology companies accountable for their market influence.
Who authored the new digital sovereignty guidelines?
The recommendations were co-authored by the nonprofit organization cum ratione and the Software Innovation Lab at Paderborn University, operating under the SICP – Software Innovation Campus Paderborn. Scientific inquiries can be directed to Prof. Dr. Stefan Sauer at the SICP – Software Innovation Campus of Paderborn University via telephone at +49 5251 60-6820 or by email at sauer@sicp.de or sauer@uni-paderborn.de.